diff --git a/include/linux/fortify-string.h b/include/linux/fortify-string.h
index da51a83b2829..cde637f735fe 100644
--- a/include/linux/fortify-string.h
+++ b/include/linux/fortify-string.h
@@ -176,8 +176,9 @@ __FORTIFY_INLINE __kernel_size_t strnlen(const char * const POS p, __kernel_size
 	}
 
 	/* Do not check characters beyond the end of p. */
-	ret = __real_strnlen(p, maxlen < p_size ? maxlen : p_size);
-	if (p_size <= ret && maxlen != ret)
+	maxlen = (maxlen < p_size) ? maxlen : p_size;
+	ret = __real_strnlen(p, maxlen);
+	if (maxlen < ret)
 		fortify_panic(__func__);
 	return ret;
 }